There are some wireless sensor networks able to report that a motor vehicle passed near a vehicle sensor, but they cannot report the waveform of the vehicle sensor. Such networks can be used for counting the traffic passing near the vehicle sensor, but they are unable and/or difficult to use in other applications. By way of example, they cannot report the presence of a vehicle waiting for a traffic signal to change, because the vehicle has not necessarily passed the vehicle sensor. Consequently, they may be of little or no use for traffic signal control systems. What is needed is a method and apparatus for wireless vehicular sensor networks able to detect the presence of a motor vehicle whether or not the vehicle passes the sensor node.
Today, there are many parking facilities and controlled traffic regions where knowing the availability of parking spaces on a given floor or region would be an advantage, but costs too much to implement. Again, there is a central need to sense when a vehicle is present but not necessarily unmoving.
Today, many parking facilities and controlled traffic regions must identify and log vehicles upon entry and exist. This process is expensive, often requiring personnel. Wireless vehicular sensor networks unable to report the vehicular sensor waveform are much more complicated to deploy, the vehicular sensors must be placed to insure that the vehicle has passed a vehicular sensor to trigger identifying and logging the vehicle. What is needed are inexpensive mechanisms providing the vehicular sensor waveforms, supporting this service. What is needed are low cost, reliable mechanisms for monitoring entry and exit from these facilities and regions using these wireless vehicular sensor networks.
Today, many traffic authorities use a radar based velocity detection approach to apprehend motorists driving vehicles at illegal speeds. These radar based systems are relatively inexpensive, but are detectable by culprits who equip their vehicles with radar detection devices. Consequently, the motorists who traffic authorities most want to penalize, often avoid detection of their illegal activities. While alternative optical speed detection systems exist, they have proven very expensive to implement. What is needed is a low cost, reliable mechanism for vehicle velocity detection identifying the vehicle violating the traffic laws.